Enhancement of the Capacity of Belize Social Investment Fund in Participatory Methods – Belize

GOVERNMENT OF BELIZE

BELIZE SOCIAL INVESTMENT FUND LOAN III

CONSULTANCY SERVICES FOR THE ENHANCEMENT OF THE CAPACITY OF BELIZE SOCIAL INVESTMENT FUND IN PARTICIPATORY METHODS TO STRENGTHEN INCLUSION AND EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN AND VULNERABLE GROUPS

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

The Government of Belize (GOB) has received financing from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) to enhance the Belize Social Investment Fund’s (BSIF) capacity to apply participatory and action research methods to strengthen the participation of women and youth in community development, and intends to apply a portion of the proceeds to eligible payments under a contract for which this invitation is issued. Payments by CDB will be made only at the request of GOB and upon approval by CDB, and will be subject in all respects to the terms and conditions of the Financing Agreement. The Financing Agreement prohibits withdrawal from the financing account for the purpose of any payment to persons or entities, or for any import of goods, if such payment or import, to the knowledge of CDB, is prohibited by a decision of the United Nations Security Council taken under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations. No party other than GOB shall derive any rights from the Financing Agreement or have any claim to the proceeds of the Financing.

The BSIF, the Executing Agency, now wishes to procure consultancy services to undertake this capacity building exercise.

The scope of services for the consultancy include but are not limited to:

• Review the instruments used by BSIF staff in undertaking participatory and action research in project communities;
• Assess the capacities of BSIF staff in applying participatory and action research methods in community development;
• Based on (a) and (b) above, identify opportunities to broaden inclusion of women and vulnerable groups;
• Conduct a one-week training with BSIF staff in participatory and action research methods for all stages of the project cycle and develop a toolkit for BSIF staff. The toolkit shall be accompanied by a booklet which outlines methodological steps for the conduct of an enhanced Community Needs Assets Assessment;
• Conduct a gender-sensitization session with BSIF staff; and
• Together with BSIF staff, will apply participatory and action research methods in selected sub-projects in the different sectors of health, education, water and sanitation, organizational strengthening, and social services intermittently over a one-year period.

The consultant will work intermittently and strategically over a period of one year. The assignment will take 50 days.

The BSIF now invites interested eligible, individual consultants to submit Expressions of Interest (EOI) indicating qualifications and experience required to provide these consultancy services.

Consultants shall be eligible to participate if:

• the persons are citizens or bona fide residents of an eligible country; and
• in all cases, the consultant has no arrangement and undertakes not to make any arrangements, whereby any substantial part of the net profits or other tangible benefits of the contract will accrue or be paid to a person not a citizen or bona fide resident of an eligible country.

Eligible countries are member countries of CDB. The Member Countries of the CDB can be found at the following web address: http://www.caribank.org/about-cdb/member-countries

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to paragraph 1.9 of CDB’s Guidelines for the Selection and Engagement of Consultants (2011), setting forth CDB’s policy on conflict of interest.

In the assessment of submissions, consideration will be given to qualifications and experience on similar assignments. All information must be submitted in English. Further information may be obtained from the first address below between the hours of 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday to Friday, except on Public Holidays.

One (1) original and four (4) hard copies of the Expression of Interest must be received at the first address below no later than 3:00 p.m. on Friday, September 22, 2017 and one (1) hard copy must be sent simultaneously to CDB at the second address below. The sealed envelope containing each submission should include the name and address of the applicant and shall be clearly marked “Expression of Interest – Consultancy Services for the Enhancement of the Capacity of BSIF in Participatory Methods to Strengthen Inclusion and Empowerment of Women and Vulnerable Groups”.

Following the assessment of submissions, the most technically capable and appropriately experienced applicant will be invited to negotiate a contract to provide the consultancy services. GOB reserves the right to accept or reject late applications or to cancel the present invitation partially or in its entirety. It will not be bound to assign any reason for not engaging the services of any applicant and will not defray any costs incurred by any applicant in the preparation and submission of Expressions of Interest.

Envelopes should be addressed to:

The post Enhancement of the Capacity of Belize Social Investment Fund in Participatory Methods – Belize appeared first on Caribbean Development Bank.

Read full article at Caribank